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my tactical mistakes?

im just relating an experience.
i live in a woods. a gun was fired at night outside my home. very close to my house and i dont know why.
i got my shot gun and stood in a darkened room where i could see both entrances to my house.
i called 911 to report it and told the operator that i had a gun. she said to put it away when the officer arrived. i agreed and told her to make sure the officer was aware that i had a gun.
when he arrived, i walked out onto the porch with my hands up so he wouldnt feel threatened.
after he looked around outside and finding no one, he said it was probably someone poaching deer.
and he would drive around the area to see if he could find such poacher.

I dont feel you did anything wrong or out of the ordinairy. I would have done the same thing..you called 911 and let them know you had a gun.
and yes it probably was a smart move not going outside to see the Officer with the gun.
That would have been ugly.

I dont feel you did anything wrong or out of the ordinairy. I would have done the same thing..you called 911 and let them know you had a gun.
and yes it probably was a smart move not going outside to see the Officer with the gun.
That would have been ugly.

Sounds like you did just fine, all things considered. Staying put- but equipped to deal with things, if for some reason, the door got kicked in- gj all-around.
Beats the heck out of having the temptation to go charging out into the unkown of the night and doing your own recon, too. Let the cops do what we pay them to, whenever possible.

Might also consider some motion-activated lights , wherever possible, around the property-especially if not fenced-in. And certainly in those blind-spots where you cant see outside very well, otherwise. If someone actually IS prowling around out there at night- suddenly being lit up for all the world to see can help them re-consider whatever they may have had in mind..

IMHO your biggest tactical mistake was not staying on the phone with the dispatcher until you could report that the officer was on scene and you could hear the dispatcher advise that the homeowner was inside and watching the area.

That "suggests" that you may have been better off not informing the dispatcher that you were armed. They will relay "homeowner/caller is armed" to the officer enroute and the officer may only hear "is armed" and act accordingly - meaning look for you as a target of his attention if not a target to shoot.

Also - there was no need for you to go out once the officer arrived. You could have asked the dispatcher to have the officer contact you after they were on-scene (and you could have put the shotgun away before answering the cop's knock on the door).

Please keep in mind that these are all Monday-morning quarterbacking comments from someone who has had the time to consider everyting without any pressures of time and uncertainty. Also, I have had the advanyage of both being in similar situations and having others critique my actions, and then (in training sessions taking place later) running the same scenario with folks who may or may not have been cops playing that role and seeing how both sets of behaviors played out.

Bottom line? You were aware, you responded in a way that protected yourself and you did not expose yourelf or anybody else to unnecessary danger. Everybody went to bed with the same number of holes they started the day with. All is good.

stay safe.

"He'll regret it to his dying day....if ever he lives that long."----The Quiet Man

Because stupidity isn't a race, and everybody can win.

"No matter how much contempt you have for the media in all this, you don't have enough"
----Allahpundit

So you are saying that landowners are going to willingly and purposely commit attempted murder if not actual murder?

Those are not the King's deer and you or any other landlowner are not the King. Nor are you or any other landowners the King's gamekeepers.

Sometimes it is good to consider the full implication of what you have typed before you hit that "Submit" button. Besides violated one of OCDO's rules against condoming/encouraging illegal behavior, and besides giving unwanted ammunition to the antis, you are setting yourself up to have your words come back and be used to bite large chunks out of your backside if you ever end up in front of the cops, let alone in front of a judge or jury.

stay safe.

Last edited by Grapeshot; 07-25-2012 at 10:17 PM.

"He'll regret it to his dying day....if ever he lives that long."----The Quiet Man

Because stupidity isn't a race, and everybody can win.

"No matter how much contempt you have for the media in all this, you don't have enough"
----Allahpundit

Sounds like the OP handled himself quite well, especially in not answering the door with a gun.

A few years back, a guy out here's family thought he shot himself and called 911. When Seattle PD arrived, for whatever reason, they decided that instead of knocking on the front door and announcing themselves, they would make a "tactical" entry from the rear of the property. Upon seeing the trespassers, he grabbed his SKS, walked out the back door, and asked who's out there. The three officers then proceeded to open fire and riddle the rear of his house with over 30 bullets, only one of which hit him (Seattle's finest my ass). The officers testified that he ran out the door with an assault rifle, pointed it at them, and yelled "I'm going to kill you motherf'ers." Even though the evidence conflicts with the officers' testimony, he still spent months in the hospital and was convicted of felony assault (bye-bye guns).

What county are you in? The sheriffs dept here routinely tell callers that it is perfectly legal to discharge a firearm. They usually will not send anyone out unless it is after 10pm. And they only started doing that recently as there is now a county ordinance on discharge after 10pm.

A few years back, a guy out here's family thought he shot himself and called 911. When Seattle PD arrived, for whatever reason, they decided that instead of knocking on the front door and announcing themselves, they would make a "tactical" entry from the rear of the property. Upon seeing the trespassers, he grabbed his SKS, walked out the back door, and asked who's out there. The three officers then proceeded to open fire and riddle the rear of his house with over 30 bullets, only one of which hit him (Seattle's finest my ass). The officers testified that he ran out the door with an assault rifle, pointed it at them, and yelled "I'm going to kill you motherf'ers." Even though the evidence conflicts with the officers' testimony, he still spent months in the hospital and was convicted of felony assault (bye-bye guns).

That's why I don't like to call the police .... under any circumstances...